Once More, With Feeling
by Draton
Summary: One young warden, given a second chance to grasp the freedom he never knew. Follow, as he sees life through a new set of eyes and discovers just what he had been missing.


Chapter 0: _In Which we find out the Maker is Fate's Bitch –Also called The Prologue_

"This is… Not quite what I expected." Daylen Amell sighed as he glanced at the area around him. It reminded him of the Fade, but at the same time this was most certainly not the realm of dreams he was so used to.

"No, you Mortals never have gotten what the afterlife is all about in those legends of yours." Daylen turned his attention on what, for the moment, was the only other being in the area. The features of this other man were, somewhat average, someone you wouldn't look twice at in a crowded marketplace.

Amell, someone who would stand out, with his white silvery hair, a by-product of a spell and lyrium accident of his youth, clad in sleek black dragon scale armor. He idly fingered the greatsword on his back, Yusaris – the Dragonslayer. "Yes well forgive me if I find it hard to believe a park is the afterlife I would be sent to, oh Maker. If that is in fact who you claim to be."

The man shrugged. "What would I have to gain from claiming otherwise? You are dead after all." He chuckled at that. "Such a noble sacrifice to, oh Warden of the Grey."

Daylen shrugged, slumping onto a conveniently located bench. "No choice at all. Unlike Alistair I researched what would happen to a Grey Warden. I welcomed it." He sneered at long lost memories. "Death was to be a welcome escape from the life of a caged animal."

"Freedom at all costs then?" The Maker, or rather the avatar of his power, shrugged. "Admirable enough for one of your position I suppose. It pains me, the crusade the chantry conducts against Mages in my name.

Amell sighed once more, staring into the open sky above him, listening to the faint chirps of birdsong. "That is why, I suppose, I refrained from drawing to close to any of my traveling companions. Parting is such a sweet sorrow after all." He paused and looked over towards the other man, "So why is it I am here? With you bothering me? I killed an Old God, gave my soul to do it as well, should that not earn me respite at last?"

The Maker shrugged, "I am here at the behest of my wife, Fate, Or as she was once called, Andraste. You are an interesting person, young Amell. Gray Wardens of the past, when they have killed the Archdemon simply died with it, the two opposing souls destroying each other in a fight for dominance. You though… Die, you did, your physical body lies bleeding out on the ground, the remains of the Archdemon around it. However, instead of perishing in a battle for dominance… Your soul won, you destroyed the Old God, absorbed it into yourself. This is almost unheard of for a mortal."

Daylen raised an eyebrow, "Truly? Intriguing… But that in itself does not answer my question as to WHY you are here."

The Maker smiled at him, "A chance, so to speak, a chance at what many would call a normal life." He paused and looked thoughtful, searching for the best words. "I am the… Caretaker, so to speak, of my realities. I offer you the chance to take the place of the one who would have been The Warden of that reality. His parents do not know it yet but their child will be born already in deaths grasp."

Daylen narrowed his eyes, "Once more to be a dog in a cage? I think not." He sneered, purplish black power flickering around him.

The Maker held his hands up in a placating gesture. "No, you would not return to the body of an Amell, you would be the youngest son of the Cousland family. Your magics and abilities, your entire previous existence would be withheld from you until you first encounter the darkspawn taint in your joining."

"Why do you ask my help? IS there not more you could do on your own? You are The Maker are you not?" Venom dripped from the young mages voice.

A sigh and a shake of the head were given, "Even beings such as I am under rules. Doing it like this would be more than a subtle bending of them as is. But well, my darling wife has taken an interest in you, and if I do not do as she… Asks… I shall be withheld from certain… Activities… For several centuries."

Amell calmed and snickered at that. Apparently with holding sex was a universal constant. "If I do as you ask, when I regain who I was, will that overwrite who I had been?"

"No, and yes. You and the young man you will be will... Merge, for lack of a better term."

Amell groaned, and slumped down again, "Will my life truly be better?"

A shrug was his answer, "Your life will be what you make it. But you will not be under the cage of the chantry."

"What of the Archdemon? Will I not still need to sacrifice myself or one of the others?"

"I will impart knowledge to you, upon your re-awakening, to change the ritual Morrigan suggested, and will suggest again no doubt. The child would be much like you are the power of an Old God, and the mind and soul of a mortal."

Daylen ran his hands through silver locks and stared into the sky, watching the clouds of this dream-like realm pass by. _'Freedom…' _"I'll do it."

The Maker smiled as power burst forth from him, the dream world breaking apart into an all encompassing light. "Then rest easy Daylen Amell, Warden of the Grey, and rise once more, as William Cousland."

And then the world went white…

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A/N: Well, that's the start. I know it's a little short, but it IS just a prologue, and anything else to put into this chapter would make it seem awkward and forced.

The idea came from this came from a few things, I love Dragon Age, and have played through the game several times since I got it, (Plus Awakenings). And some of the fan fiction already up for it is interesting… But, well most of it has been just little character pieces and whatnot, I figure every fandom needs some time travel / reality breaking fics out there, and this is my contribution to it.

To fans of my other works that are going WTH why this isn't an update for one of them! Well, The Naruto manga has been killing my creative flow as far as that particular fandom is concerned. For awhile at least. I will get back to them, but I just needed to write _something_ to get the old creativity flowing again. Hopefully _Hydra_ will be updated soonish. This is Draton, signing out and wishing you all happy reading.


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